Why a star of the DC music scene makes an upper Connecticut Avenue church a part-time jazz venue

by Beth Beisel

It’s Saturday night, and the shrill of a sound check reverberates through the hall. Musicians are setting up, and trays of hot food are being laid out. In the middle of the hubbub is Tiya Adé. It’s jazz night at the Wesley Campus of National United Methodist Church, and Adé is holding it all together.

Known also by her stage name, Tiya!, Adé is the producer of Jazz at Wesley, a monthly, not-for-profit arts program she co-created in 2010. It’s located at 5312 Connecticut Avenue, just a few blocks north of Politics and Prose.

Adé curates the artists for each show and directs the group of volunteers and paid professionals who support the evening. Her vision for the series: “Bring music, food, and people together, it just makes people happy.”

Adé herself is one of the gems of DC’s jazz scene, and she is able to attract some of DC’s most notable jazz musicians to Jazz at Wesley. She has been part of the DC music community for decades. A DC native, she sang in her church’s choir, where people kept telling her how remarkable her voice was. Adé went on to study music education at the University of the District of Columbia. She’s dedicated her life to music ever since.

Notable for her rich voice and emotive performances, Tiya! has recorded and performed with an array of well-known bands and musicians in a variety of music styles and genres across the globe. She has appeared with Ruby Dee, Odetta, Pete Seeger, Nelson and Winnie Mandela, and Roberta Flack.

Until it closed in 2015, Tiya! was the lead vocalist for 16 years at The Channel Inn Hotel, the watering hole of DC’s business and political elite. Currently, she sings with the DC’s renowned band leader, Bobby Felder, and is a member of the African-American women’s a capella group, In Process.

Why Wesley? When asked why this quiet spot in upper northwest DC was chosen for a jazz program, Adé explains, “The gospel choir at the Wesley church wanted to connect with the neighborhood and showcase the music program at Wesley.”

She finds curating each show very satisfying. “I like the creative process of shaping a series of shows,” Adé says. “I try to bring a variety of styles to the stage. I also make sure to mix in well-established artists with newcomers I find exciting.”

Adé also makes sure that the evening is affordable. Tickets cost no more than $10, and seniors and students pay even less. “We don’t want any barriers to someone coming and enjoying a really great evening,” she says.

Building community is at the heart of Jazz at Wesley, which is a cabaret-style event. People sit together around tables and can eat during the show. When asked why this means so much to her, Adé says, “It’s magical what happens in a room when you put good music, good food, and good people together. It’s like throwing the best party you can imagine and inviting everyone to come.”

On this Saturday night, over 80 people have arrived to enjoy the show. But the new sound guy needs help setting up, and the ticketing system needs to be explained to volunteers. Tiya Adé has it covered. Because she knows, once the lights dim and the music begins, all the stress goes away and the magic can begin.

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Jazz at Wesley (nationalchurch.org/jazz) performances are held the fourth Saturday of each month at the Wesley Campus of the National United Methodist Church (5312 Connecticut Avenue, NW). You can hear Tiya! perform on December 17 at 6:30 p.m., during “A Jazzy Christmas with Bobby Felder and Friends.”

Other upcoming shows include Iva Jean Ambush and Jazz Ambuscade on October 22, and the Alex Hamburger Quartet on November 19.

Tickets: Available at the door. $10 entry, $7 seniors, $5 students (cash and credit cards accepted). Kids 12 and under are free.

Food: Jerk chicken and chili dinners are available for purchase, along with desserts and snacks. Complimentary coffee and tea.